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Beef Picadillo (Fast & Slow)

Beef Picadillo (Fast & Slow)

By Diane UngerApril 7, 2020

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Active time plus cooling
    20 minutes active
  • Rating

Picadillo—a stewy ground beef dish popular in Cuba, the Caribbean and Latin America—combines sweet and savory flavors. There are many variations, but the essentials are ground meat and tomato, with raisins for sweetness and chopped olives for a balancing touch of brine. Prep the olives and cilantro while the beef cooks. Serve with beans and rice and, if you like, chopped fresh tomatoes and hot sauce.

Tip

Don't use double-concentrated tomato paste, often sold in a tube. Its potent flavor will overwhelm the other ingredients. Also, don't use ground beef that's leaner than 85 percent or the meat in the finished dish will have a dry, pebbly texture.

Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons salted butter

  • 1

    large red onion, halved and thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    tablespoon ground cumin

  • 2

    teaspoons dried oregano

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 3

    tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1½

    pounds 85 percent lean ground beef

  • 1

    cup low-sodium beef broth

  • ¾

    cup golden raisins, divided

  • ¾

    cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped

  • ¼

    cup chopped fresh cilantro

Step 1

On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the butter and melt. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring often, until golden brown at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the cumin, oregano and garlic, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the paste begins to brown, about 1 minute.

Stir in the beef and broth, scraping up any browned bits and breaking the meat into smaller pieces. Stir in ¼ cup of raisins, then distribute the mixture in an even layer.

Step 2

Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 12 minutes.

When pressure-cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.

Step 3

Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface. Select Normal/Medium Sauté.

Stir in the olives and the remaining ½ cup raisins, then cook, breaking up large clumps with a wooden spoon, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture begins to sizzle, 5 to 7 minutes.

Press Cancel to turn off the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cilantro.

Step 4

Makes about 3½ cups

In a small (at least 3-cup) stainless-steel bowl that fits inside the Instant Pot, stir together 1 cup water, 1 cup long-grain white rice (rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon salted butter (cut into 4 pieces) and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt.

After distributing the picadillo ingredients in an even layer in the Instant Pot, set a Tall Steam Rack in the pot, making sure it sits stably. Set the bowl of rice on top, then continue with the recipe to lock the lid in place, program the pressure-cooking and release the pressure.

After opening the pot, remove the bowl and steam rack; cover the rice with a clean kitchen towel and set aside. Continue with the recipe as directed to complete cooking. Just before serving the rice, fluff the grains with a fork.

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